A Matter of Time and Patience
by Ember Sorenson
Summary: In the modern world, Fili, Kili and Thorin are off to the military, leaving their dear friends, Ash, Cedar, and Rowan behind. Yes, they knew it would be a life changing event, but little did they expect the change to be THIS big.
1. Prologue

"But Mom!" Rowan Scout whined to her mother who was driving. "I don't even know these people! And I'm too old for playmates!"

Rowan's mother shook her head. "Just because you're entering the seventh grade doesn't mean you're too old for playmates." Seeing as she couldn't deter her daughter's frustration, Mrs. Scout sighed. "Call it 'hanging out' if it makes you feel better."

"No actually, it doesn't." Rowan grumbled, staring out the windshield. "Using the words 'hanging out' doesn't make it any better."

"Rowan, please," Mrs. Scout sighed again. "I don't know them either. But Mr. Gandalf does. He thinks we'll get along with them and I trust him. And you should too. He's known you since you were a baby."

Rowan gave an exasperated sigh. She's heard this story before. Gandalf Grey was an old family friend who lived a little ways in the country and sold fireworks. He was a nice old man who had bushy grey eyebrows, short grey hair, and a fondness for over exaggerated stories. Rowan liked him honestly; he was kind and funny.

"But it'll be awkward!" Rowan complained, throwing out her last line of defense.

"It'll only be awkward if you make it that way." Mrs. Scout said plaintively. "Besides, it'll be good for Ash and Cedar. had said that the family has two boys, one your age and one that's only a year older than the twins. It'll be fun."

"Whatever…" Rowan huffed slumping back in her seat and glaring out the window again.

They pulled up into the driveway of a large house. It was a decent, two-story house with a grey coat of paint, white and the door was a white rectangle with a circular window.

Rowan's little sister, Ash, leaned forward to talk to her mother. "Who are we meeting again?"

"A family called Durninson." Mrs. Scout explained. "Come on, don't want to keep them waiting do we?"

Ash and Cedar unbuckled quickly and got out, giggling and racing to the door while Rowan took a little longer. She seriously felt too old for this. Ash and Cedar, who were three years younger than her, could have all the fun they want, but she wouldn't.

"Welcome, welcome!" Mr. Gandalf greeted. "Come on in! They're waiting in the dining room. Smile Rowan! This'll be fun! They are egger to meet you." He said upon seeing the oldest of the three siblings walking in. She couldn't help it; Mr. Gandalf was such a kind man, Rowan smiled.

Mrs. Scout led her kids into the room. There sitting at the table were three people, a woman and two boys. The woman was very pretty with dark hair bright blue eyes, and a kind smile. One of the boys, the youngest looked just like her but with mischievous bright brown eyes. While the oldest boy was blonde and had his mother's blue eyes.

"Dis! Meet my good friend, Mia Scout." Mr. Gandalf introduced. "Mia, this is Dis Durinson."

Dis stood and smiled at Mia, hand outstretched. "Good afternoon Mrs. Scout. It's good to finally meet you. Gandalf has often rambled on about you and your girls."

Mia laughed and shook the other woman's hand. "Oh really? He has done the same about your family. It's great to finally meet you." She looked at the boys and smiled. "Are these your boys?"

Dis nodded, she gestured for them to come over to her. They did so and stood in front of her, the darker one actually bouncing with excitement. "This is Fili, the oldest," she said, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "And this is Kili," she said, her other hand on the other's shoulder.

"Great to meet you boys," Mrs. Scout said with a smile. "Ash and Cedar are the youngest of my kids, they're twins, and Rowan is the oldest." She said, gesturing to each child in turn. "They're excited to meet you all."

The little brunette one waved a little at Ash making her smile and wave back.

Later while the grown-ups were talking, and Ash, Kili, and Cedar were playing, Rowan and Fili were sitting grumpily on chairs, watching their siblings play, brooding silently. After a while, Rowan sighed.

"I'm too old for this…" she grouched, shifting in her seat. She thought she had said this quietly; apparently not.

"Tch, right?" Fili spoke, looking at her. "Did you mom make you come too?"

Rowan nodded. "Yeah, she tried to make it better by saying it was 'hanging out'. Like that's gonna make a difference. It's still a play date…"

"I know!" Fili agreed. "It's really stupid…" he sighed. "But I guess I kinda understand why Mum was so willing to do this. Ever since we moved here, Mum's been trying to get me to make friends. Kili's doing fine, as you can tell." He gestured to the three tumbling on the floor.

Rowan looked at their siblings. They seemed to be having the time of their lives. She turned back at Fili. "You just moved here? What school are you going to?" Rowan asked, subconsciously starting to feel a little more comfortable around this boy.

He smiled a little. "New York Cross County Middle."

"Really?!" Rowan exclaimed. "That's where I'm going. I'm going to be in seventh grade."

The boy relaxed more and his smile broadened. "Same here. Whose home room are you in?"

"Mr. Kepple."

"Wow! I am too." He looked down and blushed a little then looked back up at Rowan. "Maybe this won't be such a bad year."

Rowan giggled a little, but before she could say anything in return, their siblings interrupted.

"Stop it Cedar!" Ash whined. "Cut it out. Rowan!"

The little boy had successfully pinned his twin sister and was refusing to let her up. Rolling her eyes Rowan picked up her younger sibling and carried him back to her seat. "You're with me now squirt."

Cedar, who had looked pouty, frowned. "Okay."

As the two played, Fili sat there, admiring how easily Rowan distracted her brother whose frown soon shifted into giggling. She apparently knew how to deal with rambunctious children.

"Hey!" Kili giggled as Ash playfully poked him. He tackled her, causing her to burst with laughter and the two wrestled for a while. Fili and Rowan laughed at how cute it truly was.

By the end of the day, Ash, Cedar, and Kili had worn themselves out. Cedar had fallen asleep on Rowan's lap, but Ash and Kili were still being ridiculous. Fili and Rowan were having a fantastic time as well, and were reluctant to leave. If they saw the knowing smirk on their mother's faces they ignored it. All the way home, Rowan was staring outside the window and thinking about the new boy she'd met.

5 Years later

Ever since that day, the five children had been the best of friends. Fili and Kili would come over after school because Dis had to work and they would play video games, build fantasies, and everything teenagers normally did. They would 'hang out' for hours until the boys' Uncle Thorin would come to take them home. While he had not been at the first introduction, Uncle Thorin was quickly becoming one of their favorite grownups. Often he would bring them treats or toys and would tell them the grandest of stories as they sat in rapt silence, clinging to every word. Life was a new adventure every day and each one was better than the last.

Now, Rowan and Fili were sitting in their school gymnasium, colored robes over their clothes and caps upon their heads. Rowan could barely sit still as the school superintendent gave the final speech. She had been waiting so long for this day.

"Congratulations New York Cross County class of 2007."

Everyone clapped and cheered as the newly graduated seniors stood and proudly threw their caps in the air. Rowan and Fili beamed and embraced each other. Before Rowan could utter words of congratulations, Fili pulled her close and kissed her. Slowly she could feel herself turning red with embarrassment and surprise. But again, before she could say anything, their families approached them and Fili let her go. Kili, Ash, Cedar, Dis, Mia, Mr. Gandalf, and Thorin were all so proud of them, spouting words of praise and congratulations and Rowan didn't miss the wink Thorin gave Fili.

They were both off to college. Both were excited. Fili was going to train to join the military with Thorin, and Rowan was off to get a degree in Business. Soon, Kili would be joining Fili and Thorin, while Ash and Cedar would be graduating as well. Rowan imagined that it would all be fun, full of enjoyable times and memories.

Little did she know that graduating from college later on would change her, her families and her friend's lives for forever.


	2. Chapter 1

_7 years later_

"One black coffee coming right up sir," Ash said cheerfully to the customer. "Go ahead and sit down. I'll bring your beverage right to your table!"

The man thanked the spunky girl and sat at a table while Ash went over to the coffee machine. While pouring the dark, rich smelling liquid into the cup she hummed to herself, a little excited. About a week from now Fili, Kili, and Thorin were supposed to come back from overseas. She hadn't seen her best friend in five years. At least not face to face. Skype didn't count; not really. It would be a relief to have them back and not only for the girls, but for their mother Dis as well.

"Here you go sir, enjoy!" Ash smiled and went back to the counter. She opened the cash register and sorted the money out of habit.

Cedar stepped out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. "Slow day," he said.

"Got that right bro. How are them thar pastries?" Ash asked, not looking up from sorting.

He leaned against the door frame and grinned. "Great! Wanna give it a shot?"

She looked at her twin with an 'are-you-kidding-me' look. "You joking? That would be the end of this business!"

He laughed. "HA! Yeah I know! I just find it odd how I, the man, can cook and you and Rowan can't cook or bake worth crap."

She threw up a wadded up napkin at Cedar teasingly. "Go back to your cinnamon rolls, Pillsbury Dough Boy."

"I'm not picking that up!" Cedar smirked as the napkin fell and he walked back in the kitchen.

Ever since Cedar and Ash graduated college the siblings had opened a coffee shop/ book store. It was a cozy little place, nestled on a corner in a small town in New York. Rowan had found it, dirty, abandoned, and trashed so she bought it with the shop in mind. And when Ash and Cedar wanted to help, there was nowhere to go but up, in a manner of speaking. It took about a year for them to clean up, renovate, and restore. Lots of time and money, but it was so worth it in the end. They weren't booming, but almost everyone in town came at least once a week, aspiring authors especially.

While Ash was wiping off the counter, the phone started ringing. "I've got it!" she yelled to her siblings. "The Treehouse Bookstore and Coffee shop. Ash speaking, how may I help you?"

"A-ash?" a gasping, weeping voice asked. It was Dis and she was crying uncontrollably.

"Dis?!" Ash asked, standing upright, her brow furrowing in concern. "What's wrong?" But Dis couldn't speak, she was crying too hard. This scared Ash, Dis almost never cried. She was a hard, but kind woman. This could only mean one thing. "Oh no… Dis, please tell me my thoughts are wrong. Please tell me it's something else!" Ash begged on the verge of tears.

"I-I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I can't. They're… they're gone."

The phone slipped from her hand and she slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. Ash couldn't hear anything. Everything was blocked out the only thing she could hear was the ringing in her ears and Dis' words echoing in her head. Tears clouded her vision and her throat felt tight and warm. "No…" she gasped.

"Who was it?" Rowan asked, walking up to the counter. When she saw Ash, just sitting there, unresponsive, she got extremely worried. She rushed around the counter and crouched down next to her younger sister. "Ash? What's happened? Is it Mom and Dad?"

Ash shook her head and closed her eyes tightly. "No." she croaked. "They're gone…"

"'They'?" Rowan questioned, confused. "Who's 'they'?"

Ash grabbed Rowan's arm, holding on tightly and looking in her sister's eyes with a saddness that had never been there. "Fili, Kili, and Thorin! They're d-dead Rowan! They're gone!"

Rowan shook her head in disbelief and denial but tears were already making their way down her cheeks. "N-no, you're wrong! He can't be dead, he just can't!"

Upon hearing the hysterics, Cedar walked out of the kitchen again. When he found his sisters on the floor, he bent down to help them up. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking at Rowan.

Rowan clung to him, crying into his shoulder, staining his white shirt with tears. "Fili, Kili, and Thorin are… dead Cedar…" she choked out.

Cedar's face grew dark and serious. Fili and Kili were like the brothers he never had. Now they were gone. He hugged his two siblings as they cried onto his shoulders as he tried to comfort them while dealing with the news himself. Needless to say, the shop closed early that day.

_3 months later_

Recovering was a slow and painful process but it was coming. At first, none of them smiled, except for the fake smiles they gave the customers. Eventually they loosened up a little, and had a little fun. It was still painful, knowing that they were dead, but they would remind themselves that Fili, Kili, and Thorin were in a better place. They also remembered that the three wouldn't want them to ignore everybody and mourn for the rest of their lives.

So they kept going, in honor of the three.

About three months later, while they were working, a strange man began to come in. He was a tall, bald, pale man in a leather jacket, sunglasses, jeans, and combat boots. Rowan jumped when he approached the counter to order. She was startled by his appearance and his aura in general. Removing his sunglasses, he read the menu. Or he seemed to be.

"I'll have a hazelnut blend." He said gruffly. His voice was deep, raspy, and intimidating.

Rowan nodded, trying to keep calm and typed it in the cash register. "That's going to be three dollars and fifteen cents sir. If you will have a seat, I will bring your drink to your table."

He paid and sat at a table, picking up a magazine. As Rowan prepped the coffee, she noticed that the man was watching her over the edge of the magazine before his dark eyes darted over to Ash who was coming back from the book section. Ash seemed to stutter step but kept going, her eyes darting over to the customer then back to her older sister.

"Who is that?" she asked, reaching her sister.

"I don't know. He didn't say but he's creepy." Rowan hissed, taking the hot drink over to the man. "Here you go sir!" she said with another fake smile.

"Please, call me Bolg, Miss." He said, looking up at her and taking a drink.

"Uh yeah, alright," Rowan answered hesitantly then quickly walked away.

Rowan and Ash hurried into the kitchen to get away from Bolg's gaze.

"My gosh!" Ash exclaimed quietly. "He _is_ creepy!"

"Agreed!"

"What are you two so worked up about?" Cedar asked, putting frosting on a tea ring.

"A new customer, he's a creep." Ash explained in a low voice.

He scoffed. "I'm sure you two are over reacting."

Rowan shook her head. "Um no. Granted, we've had a few shady people come in every now and then, but he's different. He's… darker…"

Cedar shook his head. "I'm sure it's just your imagination, sis. You've seen too many crime investigation shows. Everything will be fine."

The girls tried taking Cedar up on his advice, hoping he was right. Hoping that is was they're imagination. But over the next three weeks, Bolg had come in literally every day. He would order the same thing every time and would sit at the one table that over looked most of the small shop. He would pretend to be reading the magazines or newspaper, but really, he would be watching the small family. They could feel his dark eyes on them and it made them feel very anxious.

At first Cedar thought his sisters were just over reacting. But when he caught Bolg staring at Ash with a small smirk, he became very protective and watchful over his sisters.

"Hey!" Rowan called, walking down the stairs that led up to the reading lounge. "You guys wanna watch a movie?" It was closing time and she wanted, no needed to get the creepy customer off her mind.

Ash put the last chair on a table and looked at her sister. "I'm up for it."

"Same here! Which one?" Cedar asked from the kitchen.

Closing time was relaxing and almost sacred. The family was cleaning up, sweeping the floors, throwing trash away, fixing the toppled books, and putting the chairs on the tables.

"I don't care. Maybe Star Wars-"

Gun fire cut Rowan off. It was just one shot, but then there was another, and glass shattered. Then, it was raining fire.

"Get under cover!" Rowan screamed. She quickly dived behind a book shelf.

Ash dove under the counter, hitting the police call button on the underside of the counter in the process. She covered her hands over her ears as it rained bullets. She saw some of the mugs, glasses and coffee pots shatter and explode. Liquids spilled onto the floor with bullets and glass.

After about three minutes of this rapid gun fire it ceased when police sirens could be heard over the noise. Ash stood and looked around. She saw Rowan crawl out from behind the bookshelves. But where was Cedar? When she walked around the counter, she found him. Her hands went to her mouth, muffling her horrified scream. Cedar was sprawled out on the ground, his chest stained red, eyes looking up vacantly. Rowan screamed and covered her face as she sobbed but Ash couldn't look away.

The police came in and tried pulling the girls away, but Ash fought. She screamed Cedar's name, hoping her twin would wake up. But it was in vain and she knew it. The man holding onto her was like a strong vice, firm and unbreakable as he dragged her to the ambulance while she wailed.

_One day later_

The funeral had been long and painful, only bringing more tears to Ash and Rowan. So many people were there to pay their respects. They offered comforting words to the family but those words did little for the sisters who had seen the face of their dead brother as he lay dead in the small shop. They would never forget that.

The police said that they were trying to find the killer, but had no leads. However Ash and Rowan were confident that they knew who it was. In their minds only Bolg, the creep who came to their shop so often, watching them all day. Only he could've done this. This they were sure of and they knew he wasn't finished with them.

_Now_

In the back of the crowd a man in a raggedy brown suit stood there looking for the girls. When 15 minutes had past, he pulled out his phone and called Grey.

"Yes?" the old man answered.

"They're gone."

**Okay so I wrote this chapter too. My sis will be writing the next one! Enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Six months of running, of hiding, of seclusion. Rowan and Ash were taking no chances. After the funeral they had disappeared. There was no way Cedar's death was an accident and they knew exactly who did it but they had no idea why, or where the creep was. So they never went home, they never stayed still, and they never formed new relationships. They dropped off the grid, ceasing all phone, internet, and card use, getting paid for small jobs in cash. First it was a thrift store, then a diner, then a diner, and another diner. Moving from place to place they had covered more distance than ever before. Rowan had lost track of the state they were in and honestly couldn't remember the name of the diner they were working at currently. They were all the same anyway so it really didn't matter. Their apartment was a one room, run down thing with no electricity and the tap hadn't worked in years but the two sisters spent all their time either working or sleeping before figuring out how to leave again so it didn't matter. Now their faces were pale and there were constant shadows under their eyes. Small smiles and even smaller talk were all they graced the world with, the light gone from their once bright eyes.

"Here's your coffee sir," Rowan said to a customer politely but in a dead voice. There was a throbbing behind her stale grey eyes and she knew it was only a matter of minutes before it would build into a full blown migraine. They had started after the phone call from Dis a life time ago and had become worse and more frequent after Cedar's death. The worst part was she had run out of medication and there was no way to get a refill. It didn't really make sense; she had had plenty a week ago but now the pills were gone. No point in worrying over it though. They were gone and she couldn't get more so all the older sister could do was retreat to their apartment, cover her head, and wait until the pain passed, if she was lucky.

With a tired sigh she put the customers' money in the register before glancing up at the clock above the door just to see it open and bright daylight blind her for a moment. Oh yeah, this was going to be a bad one. "Hi, take a seat-" she called to the new customers but choked off. No, no it couldn't be. Rowan shook her head and looked again, wincing as the movement jostled her head too much. The hair; the hair was too long so it couldn't be them. Still eyeing them closely she called to Ash. The younger sister came out of the back with two plates. "One sec," she answered, taking the orders to the appropriate table first before coming to her sisters side. "What is it?"

Whispering, Rowan glanced towards the table in the back, gaging the youngers' reaction. "No way," Ash said shaking her head but Rowan heard the quaver in her voice. "No, they're dead."

Rowan rolled her eyes and huffed, "Then you go get their orders because I'm not convinced."

It was Ash's turn to roll her eyes but she took out her notebook and walked over to the table. Trying her best to act discreet Rowan retreated behind the counter and pretended to be busy wiping down the counter, glancing up occasionally but her head began to pound painfully and she knew she'd have to leave soon or suffer a migraine at work. She wasn't aware she had stopped until Ash returned with the order. "Are you alright," she asked?

Rowan gave a frustrated snort. "No but it doesn't matter. What about the look-a-likes? Are they…?"

Ash bit her lip and shifted from foot to foot. "Well, I'm not sure. They look like them but at the same time…."

"Not," the older finished. Sighing she took the order and began pouring the coffee. "Really, just coffee?"

"They seemed a little," Ash hesitated before going on. "Guarded? Nervous?"

Rowan's eyes narrowed as she handed off the coffee but was nearly blinded by another wave of pain from her head. She must have hissed or something because Ash was giving her that worried look that she'd been seeing too much of lately. "Another one?"

All the reply she got was a nod and a dismissive wave towards the back table before the older sister was retreating to the kitchen. Once there Rowan dashed into the pantry, sinking to the floor in time for a fresh wave assailed her. She covered her eyes with a towel and clamped down on her ears but still everything was too bright and loud. Time seemed to slip by and drag on all at the same time and she felt those damned tears rolling down her cheeks once again. Long ago she'd learned how to cry quietly so Ash wouldn't hear but sometimes she suspected her little sister knew despite her efforts. When the pain at last began to fade to a dull throb again Rowan saw two hours had passed and it was almost closing time. Shakily she pulled herself to up and went to find her sister. As it turned out she didn't need to. Her little sister was already coming to get her. "Oh! There you are," Ash said breathlessly. "They're gone but they left this." Handing Rowan a napkin the younger stepped back and bounced from foot to foot. Looking at the napkin all Rowan saw was an address.

"What's this?"

"I'm not sure but I think we should go."

"What? Why?"

Ash bit her lip and fidgeted. "I dunno. To get answers? Or just to see what they want?"

Rowan thought about it for a second before giving a defeated chuckle. "Well, it's not like we have anything to lose. At least we got our conceal-and-carry before the funeral."

Ash smiled grimly before throwing her apron in the corner and pulling Rowan along. "I think I know where it is so come on. There wasn't a time so we can't let them leave before we get answers."

Rowan didn't answer but allowed her sister to pull her along, grabbing their bags from the hook as they walked past. How fortunate that they kept all their material possessions with them at all times. The elder grimaced at that thought. Not an ideal life. They walked in silence, not minding the dark. It was nothing new. The address led them to an old abandoned grail elevator and there in the street light stood the look-a-likes from the diner.

"It really does look like them doesn't it," Ash whispered, grabbing her big sisters arm when the two came to a sudden stop.

Nodding, Rowan shoved her hand in her purse, clutching the hand gun there. "I don't know if I can take losing them again. This is too much."

Ash squeezed her arm in sympathy and slowly they approached the two look-a-likes. Just as they came to the circle of the street light, the blonde look-a-like looked up and nudged his dark haired companion. The other looked up and nodded before turning and walking off. Jerking his head slightly in indication to follow, the blonde turned as well and left. There was no need for the sister to speak or even look at each other. They followed.

It was quite a confusing, slightly circuitous path to get to where ever they were going. For not knowing the town very well the girls were quite unsure of where they were when the two leading them finally went into a dark house with its blinds closed and no light coming out the door. Bracing themselves and clutching their bags even tighter, the two sisters entered a moment later, the door shutting behind them.

As soon as the door was closed a light came on and suddenly the two were swept up into enormous bear hugs that drove the air from their lungs leaving them gasping. "I knew it was you, I knew it," a familiar voice was saying, slightly muffled by the fact that the dark haired speakers face was pressed into Ash's hair. Ash stood there, frozen for a moment, unable to decide on how to react. Finally she squealed and returned the crushing hug before pulling back and hitting the young man. "Why didn't you tell us you were alive? We thought you were dead Kili! Do you have any idea how hard it's been?"

The dark haired man winced but continued to smile, too caught up in the joy of the reunion to become angry or upset or even repentant. "Mahal, it's good to hear your voice again."

"I never dreamed we'd see you again," said the other holding Rowan just as close. That voice was all it took for fresh tears to start making their way down Rowan's face. "You're alive," she gasped. "Mahal, Fili, you're alive." She clutched at the dead man returned, nuzzling into his familiar blonde hair. He pulled back and held her face between his hands to look her over. "I couldn't believe it was you. I couldn't bring myself to hope. But you're here." Once again he pulled her close and they simply held each other, happy to be reunited. The boys looked older, more tired, and each had grown his hair out to be quite long. Longer than Rowan's own hair for sure. They were thinner and there was a haunted look behind the joy in their eyes that made the girls ache.

Finally they all broke apart and the questions came pouring out one after another. "Where have you been?" "What happened?" "What have we missed?" "Why are you hear?" Then someone asked the question the two sisters dreaded the most; "Where's Cedar?"

Instantly both girls paled and reached for each other. They shared a look before Ash finally said, "He…he's dead."

The silence that followed was almost as loud as the shouts of despair and questions that followed. "What? How?"

Rowan's eyes grew hard as she spat, "He was shot." With that she told them of the creep that came into their coffee shop/bookstore for weeks before the sudden shooting that resulted in their brother dying. Once she was done silence once again permeated the room. It was only broken by the sound of someone coming into the hall.

"Fili? Kili? What's going on out here?"

"I thought I heard voices. Did you boys listen to a word I said when I told you you had to be discrete?"

Rowan looked up and saw a face she had thought dead as well and it took all her will power not to run up and embrace the man. Thorin looked much the same as she'd last seen him but he also bore the same haunted, gaunt look the boys did. There was a story to be had out of these three but now wasn't the time.

"Uncle, we found them," Kili said in guarded joy.

"Good gracious me," the other man with Thorin exclaimed. "Where have you girls been? We've been looking for you for months!"

"Hi Gandalf," Ash spoke up sheepishly.

"We thought it would be best if we left," Rowan explained stepping in front of Ash a little. "After what happened to Cedar and with how little the cops were doing we thought it best to disappear."

"If you two would have waited a little you would have been brought to me much sooner," Gandalf scolded. "We were going to put you in protective housing until everything was dealt with."

"Well we're here now," Ash volunteered.

Gandalf sighed before being brought out of his thoughts by Thorin. "What are they doing here boys? It's not safe for them here."

"We saw them at the diner when you and Gandalf chased us out of here," Kili said with a shrug.

"You still shouldn't have brought them here!"

"Uncle, he targeted them," Fili interjected. "We weren't even there and he killed Cedar."

Thorin stopped and looked at the girls, eyeing them closely. "Tell me what happened."

Once again Rowan recounted the terrifying three weeks leading up to their brother's death and on up to the current date. "And now here we are," she finished.

Thorin frowned and crossed his arms mulling over the news. For a moment Rowan was afraid he was about to send them away and she'd loose Fili again but then Gandalf cleared his throat and beckoned Thorin over to the side. After a brief debate they came back and Thorin addressed the girls. "You can stay, but only if you agree to listen to orders and obey."

Hopeful for the first time in a very long time the girls nodded ecstatically. "Alright then come here." He gestured for them to stand side by side in front of him. Once they had complied he took one arm at a time an inspected them carefully while asking a series of questions. "Have either of you been doing any kind of drug?"

"No."

"Have you been having any kind of fit or melt down?"

"No."

"Have either of you been doing any form of self-harm?"

"No."

"Any suicidal thoughts or desires?"

He had reached Ash by this point and though her older sister gave a simple no, he did not miss the flinch Ash gave. "Ash?"

The younger winced and chewed on her lip before blurting out in a rush, "Only once. I was having a bad day, I didn't know where Rowan was, and it was only a week after Cedar's funeral so I swallowed all of Ro's migraine medication. I threw it up right after though! There's no way I could leave Ro by herself like that!"

**My sister wrote this! I hope you enjoyed! Next chapter will come soon!**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"OH HELL NO!" Ash shouted, glaring at Thorin. They were in the kitchen with the door locked and orders to Kili and Fili to remain out in the hall. The older Durin had just offered to council her about her suicidal thoughts but Ash obviously had no desire to talk to her best friend's uncle about herself, let alone her thoughts.

Thorin looked at her with a concerned expression. "Ash," he said calmly, "it'll help you. Sometimes it just helps to get those thoughts off your chest." He explained, taking a step toward the younger of the two sisters.

Ash glowered and took a step back. "Yes, maybe so," she said in a low, dangerously calm tone. "But those thoughts are personal and not meant to be spoken. I would rather keep them to myself."

Ash could feel Thorin and Rowan's stunned gaze on her and it fed her temper all the more; she hated being stared at.

Thorin took another step toward her a stern look on his face. "I'm just trying to help you, Ash."

"I don't want your help," Ash hissed through gritted teeth. Spinning on her heels, she marched outside, slamming the door behind her. She was both upset and embarrassed by her actions, knowing her temper was horrible but too proud to go and apologize. It had become short when she had received the news about Fili, Kili, and Thorin's deaths, then got even shorter when Cedar died. Yes, Ash knew this and she was horrified with herself, knowing that she got angry for no reason. But she still wouldn't apologize; not first at least.

Rowan winced when the door slammed shut. Her gaze lingered on the door her sister had just stormed out of before turning back to Thorin. He sighed and ran a hand through his long, greying hair and opened the door letting the brothers' in. They tumbled in having been pressed against the door listening through the wood. Quickly Fili rushed over to the trembling woman but was intercepted by Thorin. "Wait a moment, lad."

"I'm so sorry about her…" Rowan apologized, her voice cracking a little. It was a shock for her to know that she might've been left alone in this world; that she would've had to sit through another sibling's funeral had Ash not thrown up those pills. Rowan felt a couple hot tears run down her cheeks and soon, strong arms had wrapped around her and she was being embraced by Fili who had pushed passed his uncle to get to her.

He kissed the top of her head and held her. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "No, it isn't your fault…"

Kili rushed to the door and looked back at Rowan. "Is she really leaving?"

"Not a chance. She wouldn't leave without me."

He sighed in relief, but bolted out the door, calling to Ash. Rounding the corner of the safe house he found Ash at the base of a tree, just sitting there leaning against the tall oak. He walked over and sat next to her. Her eyes were closed and as far as he could tell, she didn't hear him. After a minute or two of silence he leaned back against the tree and sighed.

"It's so good to see you again." Kili said, looking at her.

Ash nodded and smiled softly, not opening her eyes. "Glad to know you're alive, Kee."

Kili chuckled a little and dug in the dirt. "Hmm. So you and Ro had quite the adventure?"

She grimaced. "Yeah, I'd rather not talk about it."

"Right… sorry… I kinda… yeah…" He just ducked his head and continued scribbling in the dirt, his cheeks burning with shame.

Ash opened one eye and looked at the brunette sitting by her. She hadn't seen that face in months nor spoken to him in what felt like eons. After a moments silence, she simply spun and tackled Kili.

"Hey!" he laughed as they wrestled. They rolled about the backyard, trying oh so hard to pin each other down. At one point, Ash had the boy straddled to the ground, a smug grin on her face. What the red head had forgotten that Kili had been in the army and was all beefed up and much more muscular than the last time they wrestled. So it didn't take long for Kili to roll over and pin Ash down, straddling her down like she had done to him. Her grin was gone, but Kili was a grinning idiot. Soon, Ash was smiling up at him, laughing.

"It's so good to have you back!" she laughed, her eyes glistening with tears.

Kili smirked, got off of her, and helped her up, then wrapped her in a long awaited and lengthy hug.

Meanwhile, while Kili and Ash were having quality time, Rowan and Fili were having some of their own. The two sat together on the couch, Rowan snuggled up to him and Fili wrapped his arm around her, kissing her forehead.

"It's been so long since I've seen you," he mused, playing with her short, spikey hair. "Though, it hasn't been so long that I forget how long your hair _was_. And it wasn't colored…"

Rowan smiled grimly. "When one wants to drop off the grid, one must take desperate measures. I cut my hair short and highlighted the tips. Ash grew hers out and dyed the underside blonde. We hopped from state to state, job to job, never staying in one place for too long. We didn't like it but –hey- we all have to step out of our comfort zone, right?"

Fili smiled a little and tightened his hold around her, hugging her close. "You did what you thought was best. And it led you to us, so in my opinion, you made the best decision ever."

Rowan smiled and winced ever so slightly. Not again, not now. "I'm sorry," she apologized, standing. "I'm super tired and it's been a long day and I've got a headache." _Not a total lie…_ "Which room can I use?"

Fili's brow furrowed with concern and stood, leading her to an empty room. Flipping the lights on as they entered, he led her to the bed and kissed her forehead. "Night. We'll have a lot of catching up to do tomorrow."

Rowan nodded and closed her eyes. When Fili left, turning out the lights and closing the door, she hissed in pain as her migraine came in a massive wave, full swing. While dealing with the intense pain, a small part of her applauded herself for hiding it well. She pulled the blankets up and covered her head, curling into a tight ball.

Rowan had no idea how much time had passed before Ash crawled into bed with her, but it was late.

"Migraine?" the younger asked, concerned.

"Hmmm-mmm," Rowan mumbled into the pillow. After a moment of silence, Rowan faced Ash. "Next time, tell me. Please." She begged, knowing Ash would understand what she was talking about.

Ash glared and rolled over. "Whatever. Night sis."


End file.
